Page 171 of Queen of the Crimson Throne

“Deal,” I said before Luka could protest.

“You’re making a deal with an assassin. Someone who tried to commit treason against us,” Luka argued. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“We’ve been searching for information on the Vanir for months with no avail. If she’s willing to give me information I can give her a quick death if that’s what she wants.”

“Okay.” I expected him to argue more, to question my intentions, but he didn’t. Instead, he took a step back, allowing me space to do what I needed to do.

I sliced my palm with a dagger at my side. “Give me your hand?—”

“Oriza.”

“Oriza.” She held out her palm, her shackles clanging as I dragged the blade over her skin before taking her hand in mine.

I muttered the spell, feeling the magic working its way through my arm.

“I, Lennox Adair, promise to give you a quick death if you, Oriza, promise to give me the information I need.”

Her dark eyes met mine. “I need you to repeat the promise,” I told her. “It will seal the deal so neither of us can break our promise.”

She repeated my words. “I, Oriza, promise to tell you all the information I can give on the Vanir in exchange for a quick death.”

Magic zapped through our joined hands, causing Oriza to jolt back, hugging her sliced palm to her chest. “What are you?” Her voice was quiet in the cell.

I stood, wiping my bloody palm on my leathers. “Since your breaths are short-lived I figure it won’t hurt to let you in on Lethenia’s best guarded secret.” I turned and smiled at the female. “I’m half witch.”

“Holy stars,” she murmured. “That’s why you have a witch in your circle.”

“My cousin,” I confirmed. “But enough about me. Tell me about the Vanir.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Why are they after Lennox?” Luka asked from his spot leaning against the wall.

“I made a deal with the Queen, not you,” she spat at Luka.

“Careful how you speak to your High King or I won’t hesitate to bury my dagger in your thigh.”

“You can’t.” She smirked. “You made a deal.”

“I made a deal not to drag out your death. A dagger in your thigh won’t kill you. It will only hurt like fuck. But if you talk to my husband like that again there won’t be time to take back your words.”

I pulled an old wooden chair from the corner—wanting to be on Oriza’s level, but not willing to sit on the floor of the cell.

I sat in the chair and leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. “Talk.”

Oriza crossed her wrists over her bent knees. “What do you want to know?”

“The poison—why try to poison me and Luka?”

“It was mainly supposed to be for you and your sister. The Vanir want to eliminate the Adair line. They tried to kill the two of you before you got married.”Obviously. “But since that didn’t work, they believed Luka could be persuaded to work in favor of the Vanir. But if he would have drank the poison they wouldn’t have been upset about that. If the crown was open, they’d make their bid for the crown.” She swallowed. “They figured getting to your sister would be easy if you were gone.”

The knot in my stomach tightened. They greatly underestimated Kara. “So you poisoned all three of our glasses?” I asked tentatively.

She shook her head. “I only got the poison into yours andLuka’s. I was going to try to find your sister’s glass later in the night, but all hell broke loose.”

Luka and I muttered in agreement.

“What else do you want to know?”

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